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Java Games?

 
Greenhorn
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Hello I am thinking of learning java and eventually try to create games with it. Is this a good idea?

Thanks
 
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I'm going to tell you what I told you before. "It depends".
If you are just looking to learn to program, you can't go wrong with Java.
If you have a specific type of game in mind, there may be better options (i.e. many FPS's are customizations of a particular engine, like Counterstrike is a mod of Half-Life, America's Army is Unreal under the covers). If you want to make an FPS, you may be better off learning how to mod an existing game as building one from scratch is non-trivial.
 
Andersen Morse
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I want to create a adventure mmorpg
 
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You obviously have no experience in Java, so making games should be the least of your worries if you want to learn Java. Games are just too complex, even the simple ones. Start making simple applications (read input, do something, output answer), then make simple applets using graphics (Fire algorithm, fireworks, gravity, etc), followed by some more advanced ones with user input (Convex Hull Detection, paint program with infinit undo/redo, etc.), and finally learn to make a Swing/AWT application using graphics and user input. Some of these programs may not seem within the scope of making a game, but they will improve your ability to code in Java without having to look at a book, tutorial, or the specification for every little thing.

If you have no experience in programming games, you'd be better off making something simple. Say, a Tetris applet in Java. Then add sound, followed by something multiplayer, like competitive Tetris. Slowly add up until you understand all of the following subjects well enough to code them:

1) Graphics
2) Sound
3) Networking
4) Artifical Intelligence
5) Data Structures (trees, graphs, lists, and hashtables to be sure)
6) Multithreading (often needed in Java games)
7) Game scripting (if needed)

You'd be best off to simply buy a book in creating games in Java, since that will cover most if not all of the aspects necessary for a Java game.

Speaking frankly, with a MMORPG, you're in for a world of hurt. MMORPGs are monsters; highly complex servers with graphical shell clients, able to handle an infinite number of players without slow downs.

I wish you luck with your project.
 
Andersen Morse
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Well I guess a mmorpg is the final goal of this whole project, Thanks for the tips
 
Sheriff
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Originally posted by Andersen Morse:
...I am thinking of learning java and eventually try to create games with it. Is this a good idea?


java.com seems to think so. :roll:
 
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Originally posted by Andersen Morse:
I want to create a adventure mmorpg



Yes but what kind of "adventure MMORPG"? If you're looking to have full screen 3D graphics like World of Warcraft then something like C++ would be a better choice. Java would be suitable for browser games or a desktop application that didn't have intensive full screen graphics though.
 
Andersen Morse
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I was thinking in a browser. I want to have it easy to get to.
 
Andersen Morse
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Also this would be my first language, isnt c++ hard to learn?
 
Ken Blair
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I would stick with Java then. Look into applets.
 
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As noted, game programming is not trivial, even for simple games. You should start learning Java itself with smaller projects. Typically, a first program is to print "Hello, World" to a text console. I suggest you find a Java book and learn the basics of the language using text i/o before you jump into graphics and all the more complicated stuff that goes into game programming. Feel free to visit this site often. We will be glad to help you as you learn the language.

Layne
 
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check out:
small java games

There are some really small games (code wise) that might be useful while trying to learn java (with the goal of developing a game). You'd be suprised what someone can put together in a day. An mmorpg would be a lot of work. Just start on the rpg part... that'll be a lot of work in and of itself.
 
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